African players carded, substituted in Europe

PARIS (AFP) – Lyon defender Mouhamadou Dabo from Senegal was red-carded for a head butt and Marseille’s Burkinabe international Charles Kabore earned two yellow cards in the French Ligue 1 this weekend.

Ivory Coast’s Gervinho was substituted after failing to score in 10 games in the English Premier League, while Augsburg’s Sierra Leonean international Gibril Sankoh was called to the bench when he conceded a penalty and was too slow to stop a goal in the German Bundesliga.

The Ivory Coast midfielder scored for his side’s fightback in their dramatic 3-2 defeat against Manchester United at Eastlands. City were trailing 2-0 until Toure steered home a Carlos Tevez pass for his first goal in seven matches. Robin van Persie’s stoppage-time free-kick handed United the victory at the top of the Premier League.

STEVEN PIENAAR (Everton)

The South African midfielder sparked Everton to a sensational 2-1 win over Tottenham at Goodison Park. Pienaar produced a fine header as the side were trailing 1-0 heading into the 90th minute to equalise with his first goal since August and only his second of the season.

GERVINHO (Arsenal)

The Ivory Coast forward has now gone 10 games without scoring after failing to hit the target in Saturday’s 2-0 win over West Bromwich Albion. Gervinho was substituted after 81 minutes following another lacklustre display.

VICTOR MOSES (Chelsea)

The Nigerian forward helped the Blues win 3-1 at Sunderland to give Rafael Benitez his first league success as Chelsea’s interim manager. Moses set up Fernando Torres’s 11th minute opener and contributed to his team’s third goal by Juan Mata.

MOHAMED DIAME (West Ham)

The Senegal midfielder suffered a costly hamstring injury late in his side’s 3-2 home defeat against Liverpool. Diame limped off with West Ham leading 2-1 after 73 minutes at Upton Park. Within six minutes of his departure, Liverpool had hit back with two goals to take the points.

FRANCE

MOUHAMADOU DABO (Lyon)

The Senegalese defender was dismissed on 56 minutes for head-butting Max Gradel in Lyon’s 1-0 win over arch-rivals Saint-Etienne in the Ligue 1. Dabo had retaliated to a challenge from Ivory Coast forward Max Gradel near the half-way line.

YOUNES BELHANDA (Montpellier)

Moroccan international Belhanda tallied his fifth goal of the season for Montpellier in the defending champions’ 3-0 win over Ajaccio. He dribbled past one defender before curling a right-footed strike into the far corner from the edge of the box for his team’s third goal on 67 minutes.

CHARLES KABORE (Marseille)

Burkinabe midfielder Kabore lasted just 37 minutes of Marseille’s shock 3-0 home defeat to Lorient before he was sent off for a second yellow card after conceding a penalty bringing down Jeremie Aliadiere. Kabore had picked up his first caution 10 minutes earlier for foul on Kevin Monnet-Paquet.

GERMANY

ARTHUR BOKA (VfB Stuttgart)

The Ivory Coast international helped the Stuttgart defence hold Schalke 04 to just one score in a 3-1 victory at home. Boka helped set up the first goal in the second minute, hit home by hat-trick scorer Vedad Ibisevic. At the hour mark Boka was shown his second yellow card of the Bundesliga season for his challenge against Schalke’s Ciprian Marica.

GIBRIL SANKOH (Augsburg)

The Sierra Leone international did not have a good day at the office in Augsburg’s 2-0 loss against Bayern Munich. His handle of Toni Kroos’ pass in the Augsburg area lead Thomas Mueller’s penalty in the 40th minute. Later he was too slow to prevent striker Mario Gomez net the second goal and he was subbed out after 71 minutes.

ITALY

KWADWO ASAMOAH (JUVENTUS)

Asamoah returned to the touchline following a four-month ban for failing to report match-fixing at a previous club, and the Ghanaian put in an impressive display despite the edgy nature of Juve’s 1-0 win away to Palermo.

Despite some frustrations Juve dominated for long periods and their win leaves the Old Lady of Turin with a four-point lead at the top of the table.

KEVIN PRINCE BOATENG (AC MILAN)

Boateng put in another solid performance for Milan as the Rossoneri bounced back from an early goal away to Torino to hammer the Granate 4-1. The Ghanaian assisted as Robinho, Antonio Nocerino, Giampaolo Pazzini and Stephan El Shaarawy scored to leave Milan in seventh place, 14 points behind Juventus.

SPAIN

MANUCHO (Real Valladolid)

Two first half goals from Valladolid’s former Manchester United striker Manucho could not prevent a 3-2 defeat against Real Madrid. The Angolan international hit his fifth and sixth goals of the season to put his side ahead twice against the Spanish Champions, but Madrid recovered for a win.

OBAFEMI MARTINS (Levante)

Nigerian striker Obafemi Martins hit his sixth goal of the season in Levante’s 4-0 win over Mallorca. The former Inter Milan player was involved in two of the other goals in a resounding win that takes his side up to sixth place in La Liga.